Composite structures used in vehicles (e.g., aircraft, automobiles, space craft, missiles, etc.) may be composed of a skin layer and a support layer (e.g., a stringer layer in an aircraft). In load-bearing applications, the skin layer and the support layer are commonly coupled via fasteners instead of or in addition to adhesive due to uncertainty in the sufficiency of structural integration between adhered layers. Use of fasteners to couple the layers of composite structures in vehicles may add significant weight and/or negatively impact aerodynamic characteristics (e.g., increase drag). Additionally, use of fasteners in composite structures may require significant manufacturing cost (i.e., time, parts and labor).